Knowing Everything
by SqutternutBosh
Summary: Tag for season two episode Adrift. Gwen wants to know why Ianto gave her the GPS.


A/N: First attempt at a Torchwood fic, so concrit welcome. Tag for Adrift, spoilers for that episode.

Disclaimer: Sigh… Not mine.

…*…

Gwen stared blankly at the coalescing swirl of blue on the monitor in front of her, a pen held loosely in her right hand, tapping against the cluttered desk every now and again. She blinked slowly, thoughtfully, dimly aware of Ianto on the edge of her peripheral vision as he straightened out Tosh's desk. The swirls continued to dance around each other across the screen, slightly blurring out of focus as Gwen's mind strayed further from the hub.

That scream… She could still hear it, echoing relentlessly around her head, ringing out desperately. She remembered the look on Nikki's face… To find her only son, tragically disfigured and haunted by sights she could barely imagine- and there was nothing she, his mother, or her hope, could do for him.

Ianto was standing just behind Gwen now. She turned her chair and head slightly to look up at him, her mind flashing briefly back to the image of he and Jack in the hot house. She blinked quickly and it was gone, replaced with the image of Ianto standing fully clothed in front of her, Tosh's empty coffee mug dangling from his right hand.

'Coffee?'

Gwen flicked her wrist over and glanced at her watch. Nearly half four; if she wanted to speak to Nikki Bevan and get home to start an apology dinner for Rhys she needed to be leaving.

'No thanks, Ianto,' she replied, as brightly as she could muster. A frown slightly indented the younger man's features at her tone, but it was gone just as she registered it.

'Right,' he said with a small smile. Gwen flicked the monitor off and started to stand. 'You off then?'

'That alright?'

Ianto shrugged. 'I'm not the boss.'

He picked up Gwen's half-drunk, cold coffee and headed over to the coffee machine with it. Gwen could hear the enamel of coffee mugs clanking around as he tidied up as she went to grab her coat from the coat stand. Jack's greatcoat and Ianto's black coat were the only two still hung there- Owen and Tosh had gone out to look at some small Rift disturbances. Jack had not been pleased sending Owen out into the field in his fragile condition, but Owen was going stir crazy and had argued his case well (or, at least irritated Jack enough), so Jack had relented.

As Gwen slid her jacket on, mind still wrapped up with thoughts of Flat Holm, something occurred to her. Something the guilty part of her would like answered before she set off to see how Nikki was coping with her world being turned on its side.

She marched over to Ianto, zipping up the front of her jacket as she did so.

'Ianto?' she started.

'Yeah?' he replied, a little distracted with the coffee machine.

'Why did you do it?'

He looked up at her, confusion clear on his face.

'Why did I offer you coffee?' he asked, and Gwen couldn't tell whether he was turning his usual deadpan humour on her.

She ran her tongue across her bottom lip, hands sub-consciously finding their place on her hips. 'No,' she said patiently. 'Why did you give me that GPS?'

Ianto sighed and leant against the coffee machine.

'Because you and Jack are both too bloody stubborn.'

Gwen watched Ianto and he looked back at her, just as serious. Okay, so he wasn't joking.

'Is that it?'

Ianto straightened up. 'That's the gist of it. I knew you were too stubborn to let this go, particularly as Jack wanted you to forget about it, but I also knew that Jack was being just as stubborn and resolute about not letting you find out- you saw me talking to him about it after the meeting in the Boardroom. You were both so set on getting your own way, someone had to keep the peace.'

'Oh… I don't know whether I should thank you… or blame you.'

Ianto fixed her with a stare, crossing his arms across his chest, the sleeves of his suit jacket riding up his elbows, displaying the ends of his deep red shirt.

'You got what you wanted didn't you?'

'I wanted answers, not this horrible secret, this… _guilt_ that there's nothing we can do. I only wanted to make things right for Nikki, I… And there really is no way we can stop them being taken?'

'Jack's tried. He's not as heartless as you sometimes make him out to be, Gwen.'

'Yeah, I know,' she sighed, frustrated, running the back of her hand across her forehead. She felt strangely drained. 'How do you know about Flat Holm?'

'I know everything,' he stated shortly, trying to shrug her off.

'Ianto…'

This time, Ianto was the one who sighed heavily. 'I'm the archivist, Gwen. I'm in charge of all the artefacts and paperwork. One day I found some strange stuff about Flat Holm that Jack had tried to hide and I asked him about it. And, well, he told me. I think he was glad to have some help.'

'He's always run that place on his own?' She was already feeling bad for having argued with Jack about his reluctance to do anything to help those taken by the Rift, back before she knew that he was doing all he could.

Ianto shook his head. 'No, Suzie knew. She was his second-in-command after all; first person he recruited. Neither of them had said anything to Tosh or Owen though and Jack never brought it up until I asked him after Suzie died.'

'Which time?' Gwen was quick to ask.

'Second,' he answered, with a rather morbid smirk. Gwen found herself smiling back, although it was more of an exasperated grimace at Ianto's dark sense of humour. She glanced down at her watch again.

'I'd better be going,' she told him.

'If it's any help Gwen, I feel bad about having to send you to Flat Holm to find answers for yourself. I remember the first time I went there… It's… Well, it's no Disneyland.'

'Don't worry, Ianto,' she brushed the apology off, offering an understanding smile. I 'Guess I would've found out someday, whether it was you or Jack that told me. All part of the job.' She paused, aware of Ianto still watching her. 'He's not mad at you for telling me is he?'

'Jack?' Ianto said with a short laugh. 'He was. He wanted to be. But he realised that you weren't going to let it go and I ended up having to do his bad guy bit, showing you that place.'

'You really do think you know everything, don't you?' Gwen questioned, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

Ianto raised an eyebrow and spread his arms wide. 'Prove me wrong.'

Gwen could only roll her eyes before turning away and walking to the cog door.


End file.
